BIOS - Basic Input Operating System
This is how your hardware (processor, cdrom, sound card, etc) are able to interact with your OS. The BIOS is an OS...a basic one for hardware input. All "flashing" the BIOS means is that you're upgrading the version of its Basic Input OS...this is also good for any time you have a problem with hardware - especially on something like a new laptop. Flashing the BIOS and popping the CMOS battery are two things I would do if I could not get into setup and I knew I was pressing the keys right. I have had systems that just don't want to go into setup...old Dells liked to do that and sometimes you flash the BIOS and pop the CMOS and still it wouldn't let you into setup...then one day you decide to turn on the old heap after it's been sitting under your desk for two months and blammo, it works and you get setup yaaaaay! I have already seen a few posts from users with 1750's who were unable to get into setup...maybe this is the same problem you are having...or maybe you press F10 too much and fill up the system buffer before getting the cursor...you said it beeps - hard for me to say.
Getting to the CMOS is not something you'll probably want to do if you don't want to remove the hard drive. I don't know where the CMOS is on that laptop...it's likely that they would make it easy to remove since it's usually one of those flat round batteries like the kind used in a watch...and they do need to be changed occasionally. Sometimes manufacturers put it in the worst place possible, this stuff is all so Compaq specific you should be gathering this info yourself...basically I'm just looking up most this stuff on the HP site anyway. If you go to the HP site there seem to be many iterations of that particular model of laptop you have so you need to find out exactly which 1750 you have, it probably says on the bottom. If you don't know, call HP and find out because you have to know to flash the BIOS...the BIOS is something that you do not want to screw up by putting the wrong version...the machine might not boot anymore if you put the wrong version so, be careful! Go to the HP site and putz around a bit, see if you can determine exactly which model you have...on the site you'll find a "products and support" sort of link where you can type in what model you have and you should be able to search for a BIOS download from there. Follow the instructions that HP recommends for their equipment, if it doesn't work call them for support! If you're having problems with hardware from a specific vendor you should check with that vendor. I'm not sure how Compaqs handle boot failure but I would first take out the hard drive which is, in my opinion, going to be the easiest option since a failed boot will sometimes yield an option for Setup...easy...usually only one screw to remove it. Try looking some stuff up on the HP site! You don't need to be a techie...just gotta do a little of the footwork yourself!
Marked Solved 
Offline 
